The invention refers to a bow for shooting an arrow, particularly a bow for archery or for hunting. The invention particularly relates to such a bow with a handle riser or handle section and with arrow guiding elements fitted to the handle section. The guiding elements including a lateral guide or side rest for the arrow and a support for vertical guidance of the arrow. Such bows have been described in the May 1978 Edition of "Archery World", page 75.
Known bows of this type generally have their guiding elements fitted directly and rigidly to the handle section. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,764. Therefore, considerable dexterity is required to put the arrows into the arrow guiding elements to place them against the bow string so as to locate each time as far as possible the so-called "center of energy". It is vital for an archer to be able to exactly predict the trajectory of an arrow. Locating the center of energy requires that the arrow rest against the bow string at the nock in such a way and such a location that the draw forces of both the upper and lower limbs of the bow are equal and that the best angle, for the desired trajectory of the arrow, between the axis of the arrow and the resultants of the two draw forces is properly adjusted. To facilitate this, marks, for example, in the form of little metal rings, are fitted to the string for indicating where the arrow should be placed. However, this enables only a relatively rough adjustment of the axis of the arrow.
In order to obtain a finer adjustment of the axis of the arrow, the arrow support, which serves for its vertical guidance, is height adjustable. Often, the side rest or bearing, which serves for lateral guidance of the arrow, is defined by the face of a plunger, which can be moved transversely across the axis of the arrow against a spring in a bore, in the handle section of the bow. However, following adjustment of the height of the support for the arrow, the axis of the arrow is no longer at the same height as the axis of the plunger. Since the arrow, when shot, acts with a transverse force against the plunger and moves the plunger to charge the spring, the plunger may be tilted in its bore when it is pushed by a transverse force that is applied eccentrically to the plunger. This results in incalculable friction forces. At the worst, it may even result in blocking of the motion of the plunger. At any rate, there is a risk that the arrow may deviate from its intended trajectory.
Furthermore, various arrow positioning means are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,757,764 and 3,890,951. None of these provides easy adjustment of the guiding elements in both the vertical and arrow axis or horizontal directions.